Pass case



Patented Apr. 14, 1953 PASS CASE Benjamin S. Berger, South Orange, N.J., assignor to Philip Florin, Incorporated, Newark, N. J., acorporation of New York Application March 20, 1951, Serial No. 216,589

(Cl. 15o- 59) Claims.

This invention relates to a pass case for billfold wallets.

Conventionally, the pass case section of a billfold wallet comprises apair or pairs of transparent envelopes, the envelopes of each pair beingattached to opposite side edges of a strip of material which is stitchedalong its center to the backing of the case. The Windows thus providedfunction like the pages in a book, so that only two can be fully andproperly viewed at one time.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a pass case whichwill permit full viewing of many more than two pictures at a time.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pass case of thecharacter described which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pass case havinga novel construction which is such as to enable the foregoing objects tobe achieved.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part willbe pointed out hereinafter.

This invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements and arrangements of parts which will beexemplified in the devices hereinafter described and of which the scopeof application will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of the variouspossible embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a closed pass case constructed inaccordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view to a smaller scale of the pass case shownin Fig. 1, the same being partially unfolded (open);

Fig. 3 is a top view of the pass case completely unfolded and with someof the envelopes removed;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective showing an end of the pass case asviewed substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top view of an end of a pass case embodying amodified form of the invention.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the reference numeral I0denotes a rectangular cover fabricated, for example, from leather anddivided by a hinge portion I2 into a front panel I4 and a back panel IB.The hinge simply may be a fold in the material, if the latter isflexible, or may constitute a flexible strip connecting two stiffpanels. The axis of rotation of the hinge is parallel to and midwaybetween the short edges oi' the cover. The front panel has a narrowstrap I8 integral therewith on which the female half 20 of a snapfastener is carried. Said front panel is adapted to be inserted in abillfold wallet by being slipped under a front flap thereof having aslot parallel to and adjacent an end of the Wallet. The slot is of suchlength as to permit snug insertion therethrough of the strap.

The back panel I6 has the male half 22 of a snap fastener mounted at itsend. Said back panel is adapted to be disposed over the front flap ofthe wallet under which the front panel I2 ls located. The male half ofthe snap fastener faces away from the wallet. The female half faces themale half when the strap is bent around the open end of the pass case.

Pursuant to the present invention there is provided an elongated widerectangular ribbon 24 of exible limp material, for example, a highlyplasticized synthetic resin film-forming polymer or an elastomericplastic such as a vinyl copolymer, said ribbon preferably being slightlynarrower than the cover. The ribbon is threaded through an end-to-endseries of open-ended flat envelopes 2B, the length of the ribbon beingslightly more than the combined lengths of the envelopes 26.

Said ribbon is attached, for example, by a line 28 of transverse sewing,to the inner surface 3@ of the cover along the hinge I2, being dividedthereby into two wings 32, 34 which need not be equal in length so longas each has a length which is an integral multiple of the length of anenvelope plus a slight additional length.

The envelopes are fabricated from a stiff transparent material, forexample, a clear plastic pellicle, and serve to contain cards, pictures,and the like. Each envelope constitutes a single oblong sheet 36 ofmaterial the length of which is somewhat greater than twice the width ofthe ribbon 24. The sheet is formed with folds 38, 40 parallel to itsends, one fold 38 being spaced from an end a distance about equal to thewidth of the ribbon, and the other fold 40 being spaced from the iirstfold a distance slightly greater than the width of the ribbon, whereby anarrow transverse strip 42 is provided adjacent the second fold underwhich the end of the sheet remote from the second fold may be tucked toeffect closing of the envelope.

An envelope may be held on the ribbon by inserting the longitudinaledges of the latter within the folds of the envelope and thereafterclosing the envelope as explained above.

Outwardly facing cards C are disposed on op- 3 posite sides of theribbon, although if the latter is transparent the cards may be locatedon the same side of the ribbon.

The envelopes are retained in tandem relationship by fastening the twoendmost envelopes to the ribbon, as with channel-shaped clips 54. Eachclip is fabricated from metal and ts over one end of the ribbon and theouter end of the associated endmost envelope. One leg of the clip isindented as at 46 to form an inwardly extending projection which piercesthe ribbon and at least one wall of the envelope so that the envelopecannot move lengthwise of the ribbon. The remaining envelopes, althoughcaptively retained in an end-to-end series, are free, because of theslight extra length of the ribbon, to shift slightly, longitudinally ofthe ribbon.

If the ribbon has an appreciable coefcient of friction with respect tothe envelopes, the contact between the two will hinder such movementespecially if the folds 38, llt are very narrow. This shifting movementVenables adjacent envelopes to be spaced apart slightly whereby toprovide a slender space e'l which serves as a hinge.

In a modified form of the invention electronic stitching -52 is employedto fasten the endmost envelopes to the ribbon, said stitching passingthrough the two walls of the envelope at the end thereof as well as theend of the ribbon (see Fig. 5).

It thus will be seen that there is provided a device which achieves allthe objects of the invention and is well adapted to meet the conditionsof practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention,and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth,it is to be understood that all matter herein described, or shown in theaccompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

Having thus described the invention, there is claimed as new and desiredto be secured -by Letters Patent:

l. A pass case for billfold wallets, said case comprising an elongatedcover including two parts joined by a hinge, a single elongated widelimp ribbon secured to the panel at the hinge, whereby the ribbon isdivided into two wings, a plurality of separate transparent envelopesattached to said ribbon tandemwise with the end edges of adjacentenvelopes slightly spaced from one another, and means additionally topermanently secure the most remote envelope at each side of the hinge ofthe cover to the ribbon.

2. A pass case for billfold wallets, said case comprising an elongatedcover including two parts joined by a hinge, a single elongated widelimp ribbon secured to the panel at the hinge, whereby the ribbon isdivided into two wings, more than two separate transparent envelopesattached to said ribbon, the remote end of a given envelope beingdisposed adjacent the inner end of the next remoter envelope, thereference point being the hinge, the end edges of adjacent envelopesbeing spaced slightly from one another, and means additionally topermanently secure the most remote envelope at each side of the hinge ofthe cover to the ribbon.

3. A pass case as set forth in claim 2 wherein the means to permanentlysecure the most remote envelope to the ribbon constitutes a metalchannel located at the end of said ribbon.

4. A pass case as set forth in claim 2 wherein the means to permanentlysecure the most remote envelope to the ribbon constitutes electronicstitching at the end of said ribbon.

5. A pass case for billfold wallets, said case comprising an elongatedcover including two parts joined by a hinge, a single elongated widelimp ribbon secured to the panel at the hinge, whereby the ribbon isdivided into two wings, more than two separate transparent envelop-esattached to said ribbon, the remote end of a given envelope beingdisposed adjacent the inner end of the next renioter envelope, thereference point being' the hinge, the length of said ribbon beingslightly greater than the combined lengths of the envelopes, thedistance between the securement of the ribbon to the cover and an end ofthe ribbon being slightly greater than an integral multiple of thelength of an envelope, the endedges of adjacent envelopes being spacedslightly from one another, and means additionally to permanently securethe most remote envelope at each side of the hinge of the cover to theribbon.

BENJAMTN S. EERGER.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 715,809 Jagodnigg Dec. 16, 1902 1,621,777 Gladstone ivi'ar.22, 1927 1,893,397 Buxton Jan. 3, 1933 1,906,311 Burgstaller May 2, 19331,995,518 Perry Mar. 26, 1935 2,431,472 Fistell Nov. 25, 1947 2,432,557Broughton Dec. 16, 1947 2,493,409 Knee Jan. 3, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTSNumber Country Date 121,129 Switzerland June 16, 1927 206,205Switzerland Oct. 16, 1939

